Color matching receptacle

ABSTRACT

A color matching receptacle is disclosed. The color matching receptacle may include a colored top edge that matches the color of a top to allow a user to distinguish, locate and match the colored top with the base receptacle from one or more other tops and one or more other base receptacles. A shape of the open top of the base receptacle and the top are identical, the shape of the open top of the base receptacle and the top is disposed on a centered portion of the bottom of the base receptacle and a centered portion of the top with a geometric indicia of the shape. The geometric indicia also has coloring that is identical to the color of the top edge and the color of the top and a numerical indicia is disposed in a centered portion of the geometric indicia indicating a dimension of the geometric indicia.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application61/837,010 filed on Jun. 19, 2013, the entire disclosure of which isincorporated by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a receptacle. More specifically, the presentinvention is a color matching receptacle.

DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART

Millions of women use a range of flexible plastic containers for storingfood or TUPPERWARE® with plastic tops and corresponding clear bottomreceptacles. The clear bottoms may be stored in a user's kitchen drawerbut do not match the tops that may also be colored and have differentsizes as well. The result is that it takes unnecessary time to digthrough the stored bottom receptacles to find the bottom receptacle thatwill match and seal against a proper corresponding top.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The color matching receptacle includes a base receptacle having an opentop, a colored top edge, a bottom and a colored top having an outeredge. The colored top is removably disposed on the colored top edge andover the open top of the base receptacle, the colored top forms a sealon the top edge of the base receptacle to keep a food stored in the basereceptacle from spoiling. The color of the top edge matches the color ofthe colored top to allow a user to distinguish, locate and match thecolored top with the base receptacle from one or more other tops and oneor more other base receptacles. The shape of the open top of the basereceptacle and the colored top are identical and the shape of the opentop of the base receptacle and the colored top is disposed on a centeredportion of the bottom of the base receptacle and a centered portion ofthe colored top with a geometric indicia of the shape. The geometricindicia also has coloring that is identical to the color of the top edgeand the color of the colored top to allow the user to furtherdistinguish, locate and match the colored top with the base receptaclefrom one or more other tops and one or more other base receptacles.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a color matchingreceptacle that includes a colored ring or a colored strip disposedaround a receptacle top edge that has a color that matches a color of anarea disposed on a corresponding top.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a color matchingreceptacle that includes a shape of a corresponding top that is disposedon a concave bottom of a receptacle.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a color matchingreceptacle that includes a numerical indicia of a corresponding top thatis disposed on a concave bottom of a receptacle.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a color matchingreceptacle that is transparent to have a capability to see one or moreindicia through a pile of containers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be described by way of exemplary embodiments,but not limitations, illustrated in the accompanying drawings in whichlike references denote similar elements, and in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates an overhead view of a receptacle, in accordance withone embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 illustrates a side viewof a plurality of color matching receptacles, in accordance with oneembodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS

Various aspects of the illustrative embodiments will be described usingterms commonly employed by those skilled in the art to convey thesubstance of their work to others skilled in the art. However, it willbe apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention maybe practiced with only some of the described aspects. For purposes ofexplanation, specific numbers, materials and configurations are setforth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the illustrativeembodiments. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art thatthe present invention may be practiced without the specific details. Inother instances, well-known features are omitted or simplified in ordernot to obscure the illustrative embodiments.

Various operations will be described as multiple discrete operations, inturn, in a manner that is most helpful in understanding the presentinvention however the order of description should not be construed as toimply that these operations are necessarily order dependent. Inparticular, these operations need not be performed in the order ofpresentation.

The phrase “in one embodiment” is used repeatedly. The phrase generallydoes not refer to the same embodiment, however, it may. The terms“comprising”, “having” and “including” are synonymous, unless thecontext dictates otherwise.

FIG. 1 illustrates an overhead view of a receptacle 100, in accordancewith one embodiment of the present invention.

The receptacle 100 may include a base receptacle 110 and a colored top120. The base receptacle 110 may include an open top 112, a top edge 114and a bottom 116. The colored top 120 may include an outer edge 122. Thecolored top 120 may form a seal on the top edge 114 of the basereceptacle 110 to keep a food 124 or other suitable object stored in thebase receptacle 110 from spoiling. The base receptacle 110 may have aconcave bottom 116A.

Prior to Jun. 19, 2013, Glad Manufacturing produced the “designerseries” where sides had multiple colors that did not match the color ofthe top. Sales were poor and consumers had trouble matching the sides tothe top. Glad Manufacturing recognized the importance of matching colorson the bottom and the top of the container. The color, number or symbolon the top matches the color, number or symbol on the bottom container.The matching color number and/or symbol on the bottom may be placed onthe butt of the bottom or the sides of the bottom. It is usual andcustomary that at least part of the sides of the bottom or top aretransparent so that contents may be seen without opening the container.In October 2013 Glad began marketing stackable food containers orMATCHWARE® with matching easy match color match side to top match colortop. This is an obvious take off of a color match system.

FIG. 2 illustrates a side view of a plurality of receptacles 200, inaccordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

The receptacles 200 may each include a base receptacle 210 and a coloredtop 220. The receptacles 200 may be a colored matching receptacle 200Aor other suitable receptacle. The base receptacle 210 may have an opentop 212, a colored top edge 214 and a bottom 216. The bottom 216 may bea transparent bottom 216A. The colored top 220 may have an outer edge222. The colored top 220 may be removably disposed on the colored topedge 222 and over the open top 212 of the base receptacle 210. Thecolored top 220 may be coupled to the open top 212 of the basereceptacle 210, wherein the transparent bottom 216A may be colored witha first color 220A that matches a second color 220B disposed on thecolored top 220.

The colored top 220 may form a seal on the top edge 214 of the basereceptacle 210 to keep a food (FIG. 1, 124) or other suitable objectstored in the base receptacle 210 from spoiling. The color of the topedge 214 may match the color of the colored top 220 to allow a user todistinguish, locate and match the colored top 220 with the basereceptacle 210 from one or more other colored tops 220 and one or moreother base receptacles 210. A shape 212A of the open top 212 of the basereceptacle 210 and a shape 220A the colored top 220 may be identical,the shape 212A of the open top 212 of the base receptacle 210 and thecolored top 220 may be disposed on a centered portion 216C of the bottom216 of the base receptacle 210 and a centered portion 220B of thecolored top 220 with a geometric indicia 230 of the shapes. Thegeometric indicia 230 may also have coloring that is identical to thecolor of the top edge 222 and the color of the colored top 220 to allowthe user to further distinguish, locate and match the colored top 220with the base receptacle 210 from one or more other colored tops 220 andone or more other base receptacles 210 and a numerical indicia 240 maybe disposed in a centered portion 230A of the geometric indicia 230 toindicate a dimension of the geometric indicia 230.

The color matching receptacle includes placement of a colored ring or astrip around the top of a clear bottom. The colored ring or the stripmust match the color of the top. An approximate one inch round area withcolor matching the color of the top placed on the bottom of a clearconcave bottom if the concave bottom matches a concave top or a one inchsquare area with color matching the color of the top placed on a clearconcave bottom if the top is a square or oblong top. Placement of acut-out number for a size of a container is disposed in the center ofthe square. The round red circle placed on the bottom of the containerhad a clear number“3” on it because it belonged with a three inch top.The clear number indicates the size of the top it matches to. The tophas a matching number on it. If the containers are not clear they cannotbe seen as far through a pile of containers. This effectively means thatthe colored areas must be kept small but easily identifiable.

A colored ring on top of the clear bottom colored square or round areaor any colored ring around the butt or seal area of the clear bottom orwith a red round four inch top look for bottom with red round circlenumber “4” cut-out of a color pattern on it and a red seal near top ofseal line for a five inch blue square top look for square bottom with ablue number “5” and the number “5” is hollowed-out in color to be seenfrom both sides disposed on a blue square.

While the present invention has been related in terms of the foregoingembodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the inventionis not limited to the embodiments described. The present invention canbe practiced with modification and alteration within the spirit andscope of the appended claims. Thus, the description is to be regarded asillustrative instead of restrictive on the present invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A receptacle, comprising: a base receptaclehaving an open top and a transparent bottom; and a top coupled to theopen top of the base receptacle, wherein the transparent bottom iscolored with a first color that matches a second color disposed on thetop.
 2. The receptacle according to claim 1, wherein the transparentbottom is partially colored with the first color.
 3. The receptacleaccording to claim 2, wherein the transparent bottom is partiallycolored with a stripe with the first color.
 4. The receptacle accordingto claim 1, wherein the transparent bottom is concaved.
 5. Thereceptacle according to claim 1, wherein the open top of the basereceptacle and the colored top are generally circular shaped.
 6. Thereceptacle according to claim 1, wherein the open top of the basereceptacle and the colored top are generally square shaped.
 7. Thereceptacle according to claim 1, wherein the open top of the basereceptacle and the colored top are generally rectangular shaped.
 8. Areceptacle, comprising: a base receptacle having an open top, a coloredtop edge and a bottom; and a colored top having an outer edge, thecolored top removably disposed on the colored top edge and over the opentop of the base receptacle, the colored top forms a seal on the top edgeof the base receptacle to keep a food stored in the base receptacle fromspoiling, the color of the top edge matches the color of the colored topto allow a user to distinguish, locate and match the colored top withthe base receptacle from one or more other tops and one or more otherbase receptacles, a shape of the open top of the base receptacle and thecolored top are identical, the shape of the open top of the basereceptacle and the colored top is disposed on a centered portion of thebottom of the base receptacle and a centered portion of the colored topwith a geometric indicia of the shape, the geometric indicia hascoloring that is identical to the color of the top edge and the color ofthe colored top to allow the user to distinguish, locate and match thecolored top with the base receptacle from one or more other tops and oneor more other base receptacles.
 9. The receptacle according to claim 8,wherein the base receptacle is transparent.
 10. The receptacle accordingto claim 8, wherein the bottom is concaved.
 11. The receptacle accordingto claim 8, wherein the open top of the base receptacle and the coloredtop are generally circular shaped.
 12. The receptacle according to claim8, wherein the open top of the base receptacle and the colored top aregenerally square shaped.
 13. The receptacle according to claim 8,wherein the open top of the base receptacle and the colored top aregenerally rectangular shaped.
 14. A receptacle, comprising: a basereceptacle having an open top, a colored top edge and a bottom; and acolored top having an outer edge, the colored top removably disposed onthe colored top edge and over the open top of the base receptacle, thecolored top forms a seal on the top edge of the base receptacle to keepa food stored in the base receptacle from spoiling, the color of the topedge matches the color of the colored top to allow a user todistinguish, locate and match the colored top with the base receptaclefrom one or more other tops and one or more other base receptacles, ashape of the open top of the base receptacle and the colored top areidentical, the shape of the open top of the base receptacle and thecolored top is disposed on a centered portion of the bottom of the basereceptacle and a centered portion of the colored top with a geometricindicia of the shape, the geometric indicia has coloring that isidentical to the color of the top edge and the color of the colored topto allow the user to distinguish, locate and match the colored top withthe base receptacle from one or more other tops and one or more otherbase receptacles and a numerical indicia is disposed in a centeredportion of the geometric indicia to indicate a dimension of thegeometric indicia, the numerical indicia is the diameter of thegeometric indicia.
 15. The receptacle according to claim 14, wherein thebase receptacle is transparent.
 16. The receptacle according to claim14, wherein the bottom is concaved.
 17. The receptacle according toclaim 14, wherein the open top of the base receptacle and the coloredtop are generally circular shaped.
 18. The receptacle according to claim14, wherein the open top of the base receptacle and the colored top aregenerally square shaped.
 19. The receptacle according to claim 14,wherein the open top of the base receptacle and the colored top aregenerally rectangular shaped.
 20. The receptacle according to claim 14,wherein the numerical indicia are hollowed-out within the geometricindicia coloring and are seen from any direction on the geometricindicia coloring.